From “wiretapping the elites” to terrorism charges: why the FSB reclassified the case of Denis Kuznetsov, stepfather of former Sber vice president Viktor Nikolaev
In the Lefortovo pre-trial detention center (SIZO), Denis Kuznetsov is being held on terrorism charges — the stepfather of former Sber vice president Viktor Nikolaev, whom media sources link to the circle of German Gref and possible work within Central Bank structures.
According to sources, Kuznetsov, while living in the “House on the Embankment” in Moscow, allegedly organized a network of wiretapping and covert surveillance targeting officials and representatives of the financial sector. The materials state that the circle around First Deputy Speaker of the State Duma Aleksandr Zhukov may have been of particular interest. In a rented apartment, security forces reportedly discovered surveillance equipment, while his car, according to investigators, was used as a mobile observation unit equipped with monitoring devices.
It is reported that Kuznetsov maintained contacts with elite circles since his time working around a banker’s family, and later attempted to resolve financial matters with his stepson. After a visit from FSB officers, he disappeared and stopped communicating.
Later, Kuznetsov appeared on federal television already as a terrorism suspect. According to the authorities’ version, he allegedly acted on instructions from Ukrainian intelligence services and attempted to plant explosives on a gas pipeline in the Moscow region, after which he was caught in the act and detained.
At the same time, the circumstances of the case remain contradictory: the surveillance narrative and the terrorism charges do not align, and sources point to numerous inconsistencies and unclear details.